Page 2 - Immigration

CIAL to launch smart gates for travellers, self-immigration in 20 secs

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is all set to become the second airport in India to implement the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Trusted traveller Programme, facilitating seamless immigration process through self authentication at specially designed smart gates at the immigration counters. This state-of-the-art facility will be launched by August 2024, CIAL said on Thursday and added that it has begun an infrastructure makeover at the immigration area, dedicating eight lanes to biometric e-gates, enabling international travellers to complete the immigration process by themselves in 20 seconds. The facility was rolled out at Delhi International Airport in June. The MHA's Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Travellers' Programme (FTI-TTP) aims to expedite the immigration clearance for eligible Indian nationals and foreign nationals holding OCI cards, the CIAL said in a release. "Applicants must complete a one-time registration process on the MHA portal, upload necessary ..

Indian students in New Zealand can now secure work visas for partners, kids

If you are enrolled in an eligible Level 7 or 8 qualification on the Green List, your spouse can apply for a "Partner of a Student Work Visa"

New Zealand tightens visa rules for foreign workers, families; details here

New Zealand last week implemented changes to its visa regulations that will impact certain foreign workers and their families

Australia 'exploiting young people': How visa fee hike will impact Indians

Australia's visa fee hike decision poses a significant financial challenge for Indian students aspiring to study in Australia

Want to add your name in 'White List' for faster immigration? Check it now

Indian citizens and OCI cardholders will be covered in the first phase, and foreign travellers will be included in the second phase

DIAL introduces biometric kiosks for faster immigration processing

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Friday introduced biometric registration kiosks for faster immigration processing, which will be operated under the direct supervision of the Bureau of Immigration (BOI). DIAL said that five kiosks are currently operational at the international arrival pier of the airport and it plans to add five more soon. This expansion will further expedite the immigration process for arriving passengers. The specially-designed kiosks for foreign nationals arriving in India with a visa where biometric information was not collected during the application process, have been set up for the first time at any airport in the country, DIAL said in a statement. Before implementing this new mechanism, visa-holding passengers arriving in Delhi without biometric registration were required to utilise the designated immigration counters, resulting in an average wait time of 4-5 minutes per passenger, the private airport operator said. During peak hours, these qu

India received $111 bn in remittances in 2022, highest by any country: UN

India received over USD 111 billion in remittances in 2022, the largest in the world, becoming the first country to reach and even surpass the USD 100 billion mark, the United Nations migration agency has said. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in its World Migration Report 2024 launched Tuesday, said that in 2022, India, Mexico, China, the Philippines and France were the top five remittance recipient countries. "India was well above the rest, receiving more than USD 111 billion, the first country to reach and even surpass the USD 100 billion mark. Mexico was the second-largest remittance recipient in 2022, a position it also held in 2021 after overtaking China, which historically had been the second-biggest recipient after India, the report said. According to the report's data, India was the top country receiving remittances in 2010 (USD 53.48 billion), 2015 (USS 68.91 billion), and 2020 (USD 83.15 billion), with the remittances crossing the USD 100 billion mark t

Australia student visa rule: Rs 16 lakh minimum bank balance now mandatory

The savings requirement ensures that students have enough money to cover their travel, course fees, and living costs during their stay

Global housing shortages hinder immigration-driven growth across world

For decades, the rapid inflow of migrants helped countries including Canada, Australia and the UK stave off the demographic drag from aging populations and falling birth rates

12 Indians arrested by UK's immigration dept over breach of visa rules

Eleven men and one woman, all said to be Indian nationals, have been arrested by the UK's immigration authorities in a series of raids on suspicion of being in breach of their visa conditions and working illegally at a bedding and cake factory. According to a statement from the UK Home Office on Wednesday, Immigration Enforcement officers descended on the bedding and mattress business in the West Midlands region of England following intelligence that illegal work was taking place on-site. They arrested seven men all Indian nationals for suspected illegal working, the Home Office said. Four more Indian men were arrested at a nearby cake factory. They were found to be in breach of their visa conditions, and one was also working illegally. An Indian woman was then arrested for immigration offences at a private home, with further raids planned throughout the afternoon, it said. The officials said four of the offenders were detained pending consideration for removal from the UK or ...

New Zealand tightens visa rules: How will it impact Indian job seekers?

New Zealand's Alejandra Mercado told Business Standard that, applications already in progress at the time of the changes will be assessed based on immigration requirements effective when they applied

Four, including 3 Indians, arrested while illegally entering US from Canada

At least four people, including three Indian nationals, have been arrested in Up state New York along the Canada border when they were trying to enter the US illegally, officials here said on Wednesday. The US Border Patrol arrested four people, including a woman, when they were jumping off a moving freight train on the International Railroad Bridge in the city of Buffalo. The fourth person, a man, was identified from the Dominican Republic. The men left the woman who became immobile due to an injury as they were approached by the police and were caught shortly after a foot pursuit. The injured woman received first aid from Erie County Sheriff's deputies and US Customs and Border Protection officers (CBP). After treatment, the woman was transported by ambulance to a local medical centre. The investigation concluded that all four people were undocumented non-citizens. The three men are being processed for removal and detained in Batavia Federal Detention Facility awaiting a deport

USCIS launches new system related to H1-B registrations, petitions

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a statement on Wednesday announced the launch of myUSCIS organisational accounts

Over 95 GB of Indian immigration data stolen by China-linked hacking group

Files leaked on GitHub include data not only from India but from at least 80 overseas targets, including Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan

Immigration crisis, Made in America

Conflicts over immigration often arise from similarity rather than difference, and the strangers at our border have a familiar history that Blitzer tells in meticulous and vivid detail

India, Taiwan sign migration agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation

India and Taiwan on Friday signed a migration and mobility agreement that will facilitate the employment of Indian workers in diverse sectors in the self-ruled island, a move that is seen as reflective of the renewed momentum in the cooperation between the two sides. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at a virtual ceremony by Director General of the India-Taipei Association (ITA) Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav and Baushuan Ger, the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in New Delhi. In order to strengthen the bilateral labour cooperation relations, Taiwan and India have signed an MoU, Taiwan's labour ministry said. Both sides were engaged in discussions over the pact for the last several years. After all the preparatory work is completed, India will be announced as a "new source" country of migrant workers in accordance with the law, the Taiwanese labour ministry said. Taiwan's current source countries for migrant workers are Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippine

The deadly business of restricting immigration

While xenophobia remains a constant in American life, anti-immigrant policies have consequences beyond borders. Two recent books, spanning different periods in history, illustrate this point

506 foreign nationals found staying illegally in Navi Mumbai: Police

The Navi Mumbai police have found 506 foreign nationals, including 411 Nigerians, who were residing illegally in their jurisdiction in the past year, a senior official said on Saturday. These persons had either entered India without proper documentation or overstayed their visas, he said. The police came across these during raids and searches conducted as part of their efforts to crack down on the sale of drugs in the area, said Navi Mumbai police chief Milind Bharambe. Many of the 411 Nigerians were found to be involved in drug-related offences, he said. The police have also initiated action against landlords who sheltered illegal foreigners in their properties. A total of 483 foreigners, identified as staying illegally in Navi Mumbai, have been served notices to leave the country, the official said.

Another Indian student found dead in US, third such case within a week

Another Indian student in the United States named Shreyas Reddy has been found dead in Cincinnati, Ohio, making it the third such case within a week

German State Secy invites Indians to explore opportunities in Germany

Leonie Gebers emphasised the great potential of India and expressed Germany's interest in collaborating across different sectors